Back From the Grave
by QueenCate
Summary: Lily, James, and Sirius get sent into the future just as the Potters prepare to go into hiding. Will they help Harry or hinder his attempts to destroy Voldemort?
1. Reverse Timeturner

Most of the students in the Great Hall glanced up as the post owls swooped in overhead, checking for familiar owls. Lily Evans was one of the few who didn't bother. No one she knew outside of Hogwarts would be sending her an owl. Her parents were Muggles and didn't understand the ways of the Wizarding world. Therefore, she was surprised when a handsome tawny owl gracefully landed in front of her, dropping a small package before taking flight again. Almost instantaneously, James Potter and his gang of friends were upon her, asking what was in the package.

"Obviously I don't know yet, seeing as it was only just dropped off," Lily snapped, growing annoyed. She reached over and removed the card from the top but just as she opened it and caught sight of the loping script, Sirius Black snatched it from her hand. He stood up straight and tapped his wand to his throat for a moment before reading in a booming voice that filled the Great Hall.

"_Dear Lily,_

_I believe you shall find this present useful at some point in time. You shall know when the time is right._

_- A friend_"

"You got a secret admirer, Evans?" Sirius teased.

Lily's face now matched her long red hair. "Stuff it, Black."

James was scanning the Hall. "Who do you reckon sent it, Padfoot?"

"I dunno," Sirius answered, joining in the search. "That git McLaggen looks suspicious. Plus, I just don't like him."

James nodded in agreement. "I'm with you there, mate. Let's hex him after breakfast and then start looking for whoever wrote that note to Evans."

Remus, who had been silent up until now, rolled his eyes and said, "Calm down. First, don't talk about hexing people in front of me. I'm a prefect now, remember? And second, we don't even know what's in that package. Maybe you should see before you go flying off the handle."

Sirius and James sighed in unison but decided to listen to Remus. Sirius grabbed the package from Lily, causing her to let out a yelp of protest, but it was too late. Sirius had already torn the paper off, revealing a small hourglass. Lily grabbed it from him and studied it. The gold bottom glinted with sunlight as she read the words etched into it: _Reverse Timeturner_.

"What is it, Evans?" James asked, crowding around her.

Lily's annoyance won over her curiosity and she told James to, "Bugger off," before storming from the Great hall. James watched her go until Sirius leaned close and whispered, "So we're still hexing McLaggen, right?"

"Course," James agreed, fingering his wand. He needed some entertainment to take his mind of frustration that was pursuing Lily Evans.

-x-

"James, Lily, I wish you would reconsider your decision and make me your Secret Keeper," Dumbledore implored, trying one last time to change the Potters' minds. James opened his mouth to argue but Dumbledore held up his hand to silence him. "Yes, I know you trust Sirius, but Voldemort has ways of getting information out of anyone, even best friends."

James shook his head adamantly. "No, Dumbledore, I'm sorry, but I trust Sirius. He would die before he betrayed us."

Dumbledore studied him for a moment, his piercing blue eyes sharp. "And he very well may die to protect you. Is that what you want?"

James met Dumbledore gaze with a glare of his own. "Of course not. But Sirius knows how to take care of himself. He volunteered, for Merlin's sake!"

Sighing, Dumbledore removed his half moon spectacles and rubbed his wrinkled eyes. "I just wish there was another way."

Lily spoke up then. "I may have an idea, Professor." She had never really lost the habit of calling Dumbledore 'Professor.' "Years ago, back in fifth year, I got this package with an odd note. It said I would find it useful later on and that I would know when the time was right. I think that time is now."

James's eyes lit up as he remembered the package Lily was talking about. "Yeah, of course! What was it called?" He racked his brain for a moment.

"Reverse Timeturner," Lily supplied.

'That's it!" James exclaimed. "Where is it, Lils?"

"Right here." Lily dug into her pocket and when she withdrew her hand, the Timeturner lay nestled there.

Before Dumbledore could speak, Sirius burst into the room. "Wait!" he gasped. The other three complied impatiently. When he finally caught his breath, Sirius said, "I left Harry with Remus. I had to tell you something. James, don't listen to him. I'll be the best Secret Keeper you could have. I swear I'll never tell Him where you are. You know I wouldn't."

"Sirius, mate, you're a bit behind the times. Lily may have another way for us to go into hiding." James pointed to the sparkling object in his wife's hand. Sirius took it from her and set about examining it as Dumbledore seized the opportunity to offer his opinion of this new plan.

"I believe I know what the item you have is. Although I must say, I'm not quite sure who could have sent it to you, Lily, or how it could help you."

Sirius tossed the golden chain around his own neck and those of Lily and James. They ignored them, listening intently to Dumbledore. "It will send you into the future, but you will also exist in this time period. It is very complicated magic," he was saying. Bored, Sirius started fiddling with the object, turning it around as fast as he could, trying to see how many turns he could get in thirty seconds. Dumbledore noticed this a moment too late. "Sirius, don't –" he shouted but a white light already begun emanating from the center on the Timeturner. It spread, rapidly engulfing the three friends, who had barely a second to exchange terrified glances before a loud explosion filled the room and their world went dark.

-x-

Lily's eyes fluttered open and she blinked them furiously to clear her vision as she got her bearings. James and Sirius lay on either side of her and she noticed that they, too, were regaining consciousness. With a start, she realized they were still in Dumbledore's office. The old headmaster was kneeling beside her. He rose and offered his hand to Lily. Staggering to her feet, Lily tried to remember the events that led to her lying sprawled on the floor of Dumbledore's office. The memory hit like a ton of bricks and she groaned. "Sirius, what did you do?"

Dumbledore smiled gently and spoke before Sirius could give Lily his undoubtedly indignant reply. "I'm afraid Mr. Black has sent you into the future. Though just how far, I'm not sure of. The only thing we can do is continue with the spell as planned and hope our future selves figure things out."

James rubbed his head wearily and said, "Fine, the Timeturner was a long shot anyway. But Sirius is out Secret Keeper."

-x-

Lily's eyes fluttered open and she blinked them furiously to clear her vision as she got her bearings. James and Sirius lay on either side of her and she noticed that they, too, were regaining consciousness. With a start, she realized they were still in Dumbledore's office but that the old headmaster was no longer in the room. Staggering to her feet, Lily tried to remember the events that led to her lying sprawled on the floor of Dumbledore's office. The memory hit like a ton of bricks and she groaned. "Sirius, what did you do?"

Sirius, who had been dusting off his robes, whipped his head up and asked incredulously, "Me? How was I supposed to know that would happen?"

"Maybe," James started, climbing to his own feet. "If you had listened to Dumbledore instead of playing with the Timeturner, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"I couldn't help it! Teachers bore me and it was shiny!" Sirius complained.

Lily held up a hand to silence James's retort when she heard footsteps rapidly approaching. Moving quickly, she placed Disillusionment Charms on the three of them and, grabbing each by the arm, led them to a corner far from the door. Moments later, the door flew open and in walked Minerva McGonagall, followed by a dark haired boy that McGonagall called "Harry." I always liked that name, Lily thought, thinking of her son. Then McGonagall mentioned Dumbledore. Lily was instantly alert, listening raptly to the conversation. She had to bite her lip to keep from gasping when she heard that Dumbledore was dead. She could feel James and Sirius tense on either side of her and knew they were fighting similar urges. It took a second for Lily to realize that McGonagall had called the boy Potter. She risked a glance at James and saw the realization dawn on his face as he turned to meet her gaze. He squeezed her hand. Yes, Lily told herself. He had to be their son. No one other than James Potter's son would talk to a teacher the way this boy was. Studying him, Lily saw how much he resembled his father. The same stance, the same features, even the same messy hair, although she suspected Harry didn't purposely mess his up.

Three other professors joined the two, Professor Flitwick yelling something about Snape. As the conversation went on, it all became clear. Snape had murdered Dumbledore. And her darling little boy had witnessed it. A tear leaked from the corner of her eyes and slowly made its way down her cheek as she hung her head in shame. Her sweet child had witnessed a murder. Where was her future self? How had she allowed this to happen? James nudged her and she glanced up in time to see Harry leaving the small office. He turned in their direction for a moment as he pulled the door shut and Lily once again had to bite back a gasp as she saw a jagged, lightning-shaped scar, clearly visible against the pale skin of his tired face. The door slipped shut a second before Lily realized that now they had no way of following Harry. They were stuck here until the teachers and the newly arrived Ministry delegation left. This could take a while. Lily squeezed James and Sirius's hands and they settled onto the floor as quietly as possible to wait, taking advantage of the loud argument McGonagall was having with the new Minister of Magic.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the Ministry officials left the office, followed shortly by the three professors, leaving McGonagall to collapse into Dumbledore's chair. She let out a long sigh before saying, "I know you're there, so you might as well come out."

Lily was taken aback by McGonagall's acknowledgement of their presence but complied by removing the charms on James, Sirius, and herself. McGonagall gave them a weak smile and motioned for them to be seated in front of the desk. They took the seats and stared at their former professor, trying to process everything that had happened in the past few hours. "Professor Dumbledore told me that you would show up eventually, though I rather think he expected to be alive to greet you."

"Was that…?" James asked hoarsely.

McGonagall nodded slowly. "Yes, that was your son. That was Harry. A lot has happened since you last saw him. Things that will be hard for you to understand and accept, but I will try my best to explain them. But first, Dumbledore left a note for you. Just in case, I suppose." She reached into the top desk drawer and when she pulled it out, she held an envelope bearing their names in a familiar loping script. The same handwriting that had been on letter that came with the Timeturner. Lily tore it open and eagerly read it, her face falling a little more every line. By the end, she was weeping. The things her little boy had gone through. She and James dead, Sirius in Azkaban and then murdered, everything had fallen apart. Mutely, she passed the letter to James and Sirius, neither of whom could keep the tears from spilling over when they finished. The three friends were stunned. That's why their future selves weren't around. They were dead. James locked eyes with McGonagall and asked the questions they were all thinking. "What about Harry? He _is_ the one Voldemort was after. Why wasn't he killed?"

"From what Dumbledore told me, Lily died to save Harry and that protected him. When Voldemort tried to perform the Killing Curse on him, it rebounded and nearly killed Voldemort he fled and Harry became the Boy-Who-Lived." McGonagall sighed again. "You've missed a lot. Harry is probably the single most famous wizard of all time. He has been since he was one."

Lily stared at the door her no longer little boy had gone through only minutes before. "He seems so…old."

"He's been through a lot. More than anyone should ever have to go through, especially not a child such as himself. Although I suppose he's no longer a boy."

"No, he's not," Lily agreed sadly.


	2. Watching From Afar

Lily watched from afar as her son went through those incredibly difficult days following Dumbledore's murder, yearning to go to him, to wrap her arms around him and comfort him, yet unable to. McGonagall wouldn't allow it. She claimed that time travel was risky business and that the Potters and Sirius had to stay hidden away until she could devise a course of action. Finally, unable to watch her little boy from afar, she convinced James and Sirius to sneak her closer, a plan they readily agreed to. The two set about planning their "adventure," as Sirius called it, immediately and within a day the three were ready. Unfortunately that day was also Dumbledore's burial. Enchanting invisibility cloak James had been carrying the day they time traveled to cover the three of them; they sneaked down to the sun-soaked grounds for the somber affair. From the other side of the lake they watched, bowing their heads in respect and sorrow for the fallen hero, though their eyes never strayed far from Harry. At on point, James nudged Sirius and whispered, "Mate, tell me I'm seeing things!"

Sirius rubbed his eyes dramatically and opened them wide. "Bloody hell. Umbridge!" he hissed. His blood boiled at the unwelcome sight of the horrid woman. She had made it her mission in life to make his life, and by association James's life, hell until she graduated Hogwarts after their second year. Sirius's hand closed around his wand.

"Sirius," Lily warned, pointing towards Harry, who was walking in their direction, followed closely by a tall, proper-looking man, the Minister of Magic. He called out Harry's name and Harry turned to face him, quite obviously not happy to see him. After a moment Harry's resumed his walk, accompanied by the Minister. His parents and godfather listened to their conversation with interest, eyes growing wide in unison as Harry told the Minister, "Voldemort wants to kill me himself, and Aurors won't stop him." Seconds later the Minister turned a shade of purple that strongly reminded Lily of the brother-in-law she had met only once, Verne or something like that before limping away, passing two teenagers that were hurriedly approaching Harry. Lily could tell these were Harry's close friends. The way interacted and seemed to anticipate each other's thoughts and actions. They reminded Lily of James and his friends and one glance at him and Sirius told her they noticed it too. Then Harry said something that caught all of their attentions, "Godric's Hollow." The friend's exchanged petrified looks. The second Harry and his friends left, they ran for Dumbledore's – no, McGonagall's – office as fast as the Invisibility Cloak would allow. As expected, McGonagall wasn't there, so the three settled in to wait.

James began pacing the floor of the small office, mumbling to himself. Lily watched him for several minutes before getting to her feet and planting herself in front of him. "James," she whispered, eyes glassy with tears. Her husband looked up and she squeezed her eyes shut in a feeble attempt to keep the tears from tumbling down, but they leaked out the corners and slid down her cheeks, leaving glistening tracks behind. "Our son," he choked out through his own tears.

"I know," Lily nodded, resting her forehead on James's. "I know."

Sirius was watching the two, tears forming in his own dark eyes. James noticed and laughed softly. "Padfoot, you big softie!"

Swiping furiously at his eyes, Sirius retorted, "This is all your fault! I don't cry! I don't!"

Lily joined James in laughing and minute later Sirius gave up and let out his own bark-like laugh. They laughed and cried, letting out all the emotions that had been storming about in their stomachs and hearts. McGonagall came in and found them rolling on the floor, tears streaming down their cheeks and sliding into their open mouths as they giggled. The professor smiled at them understandingly before clearing her throat.

All three heads whipped up. "Oh, sorry, Professor!" Lilly gasped, wiping her cheeks and scrambling to her feet. The other two followed suit.

"It's quite all right," McGonagall assured them, waving her hand dismissively. "Now what can I do for you?"

James settled himself into one of the chairs in front of the desk and explained, "We were watching Dumbledore's funeral and afterwards Harry walked over by us and started talking to his friends. He's planning on moving to Godric's Hollow to prepare to fight Voldemort. It's a death sentence! He can't do that Professor! He's only sixteen!" James's voice grew louder with each sentence so that by the time he uttered the last one, he was yelling. Footsteps sounded on the stone staircase that led to the office and McGonagall's eyes grew wide as she waved her wand. Lily, James, and Sirius became invisible and ducked into a corner. McGonagall turned to the portrait of Phinnaeus Black and ordered him to play along just as the door to the office flew open. McGonagall whirled around towards the door in surprise. "Oh, Minister! What's wrong?"

"I…heard…yelling," Scrimgeour gasped, leaning on his cane as he struggled to catch his breath. "Something…about…Potter…I think. What's…going on?"

McGonagall smiled. "What you heard, Minister, was Phinnaeus here complaining once again about young Sirius Black leaving home."

Scrimgeour studied her shrewdly. "Is that true, Phinnaeus?"

"Yes, sir, Minister," Phinnaeus replied, for once not sounding surly. "That young hooligan betrayed the Black family! That blood traitor –"

"Thank you, Phinnaeus," McGonagall cut him off. "You see, Minister? Nothing unusual is going on up here."

Scrimgeour still looked doubtful, but he turned and slowly limped from the office, pulling the door shut behind him. McGonagall held a hand up in the direction of the Potters and Sirius to warn them to keep quiet and set about opening and closing drawers and seemingly working as usual. Two minutes later, she rose to her feet and quietly headed for the door with a mischievous smile on her face, opening it quickly. A loud crack filled the air as the door hit someone. A sheepish Rufus Scrimgeour lay sprawled on the floor.

"Minister? Did you forget something?" McGonagall asked innocently.

"I-Oh, yes, I think so. Is my…handkerchief in there?" Scrimgeour peered over her shoulder.

"No, I don't believe it is," McGonagall answered. "It's getting late. I'm sure you have work to get back to at the Ministry so I won't keep you any longer. Goodbye, Minister."

"Yes, goodbye, Minerva," Scrimgeour replied sourly before limping sown the stairs.

McGonagall walked to her window and watched until Scrimgeour walked through the gates and apparated away. Then she turned to the three people hidden in the corner, waving her wand at them. They returned to their normal state and let out the laughs they had been biting back.

"Nice one, Professor," Sirius congratulated her.

"Thank you, Black. Now, we have work to do." She indicated towards the chairs in front of her desk before settling into her own chair.

-x-

A/N: I know, it's super later and I'm really sorry. School's been mad crazy and I barely have time to do everything I have to do afterwards, plus I've been sick, but I stayed home today and I got this finished. It's short, but I hope you liked it.


	3. Reunion

_I'm sorry it's taken so long! This fic is a lot harder for me to write than my other ones, so it kinda takes a backseat when I don't have a lot of time to write. I hope those of you who didn't lose interest during the wait like it. Please let me know what you think!_

--x--

Harry descended from the Hogwarts Express with slightly frightened anticipation. It would be interesting to see the Dursleys' reactions to the news that Ron and Hermione were coming back to Privet Drive with them. But that wasn't what was frightening him. The days when Uncle Vernon could truly scare him had passed long ago. It was the imminent confrontation with Voldemort that had nearly imperceptible tremors running up and down his spine whenever he allowed himself to relax. Despite his friends' assurances that everything would be fine, Harry knew none of them believed it. He certainly didn't. In all likelihood, he would die at Voldemort's hands. The only thing left was to accept that possibility. Then he could start to prepare for the coming battle. Easier said than done. Something else had Harry feeling anxious, too. He couldn't help thinking of his parents, more so than usual. At first he wrote it off as part of his fear. It was only natural to think of one's parents when there was possibility you might die soon. Especially when the person you had to fight had killed your parents. But then that day by the lake, after Dumbledore's funeral, he had felt them. And Sirius. It was as though they were only a few feet away, watching him. He hadn't told Ron or Hermione. He didn't feel like seeing the looks of sympathy that they gave him whenever his parents or Sirius were mentioned. It only reminded him of what he was missing. Harry didn't have long to dwell on these confusing feelings swirling about inside of him as he had spotted the Dursleys and knew it was time to break the news about their house guests.

"Stay here," he told Ron and Hermione before approaching his so-called family. "Hullo. Had a nice year?" he asked cheerfully. When all he got was looks of fearful disbelief from his aunt and cousin and anger at his nerve to actually return to their house from his uncle, Harry decided to switch gears. In a businesslike tone, he told them, "My friends Ron and Hermione – you've met Ron and his father – are coming to stay for a few weeks, until my 17th birthday. Then we'll all be leaving as I'll be of age." The Dursleys stared at him in stunned silence. "Right then." He waved Ron and Hermione over. "Where's the car?"

-x-

"We have to tell him!" James pounded his fist on McGonagall's desk. "We have to _help_ him!"

"James, calm down!" Lily pleaded.

"I'm with James. We need to tell Harry what's going on," Sirius chimed in.

The two turned to Lily. "Well?" James prompted.

"Well…" Lily said slowly. "Professor McGonagall knows Harry better than we do, as much as I hate to admit it. I think we should at least hear what she has to say."

"Fine," James huffed, flopping back into his chair. Sirius followed suit, just as unhappily. Lily settled back into her own chair between them.

"Now, as I was saying," McGonagall shot James and Sirius looks, "I'm not sure we should add this to Harry's burden just yet. The boy has had to deal with more in his 16 years than most adults deal with in a lifetime. And while he has come through it spectacularly, I have no doubt that behind his façade of strength and bravery, he's hurting. He is still a boy, as many people have trouble remembering sometimes, and there's only so much he can handle. Your return might confuse him, especially since he has never known you two, and since Sirius's death is still so recent. He hasn't even come close to getting over that. And it would only upset him more when we have to send you back."

"Hem, hem."

McGonagall's head whipped around in shock, expecting Umbridge to be standing there. Then she smiled wanly. "Very amusing, Professor. I assume that means you have something to add?"

"Yes, I mostly certainly do, Minerva," Dumbledore's portrait answered, his mouth spread in a soft smile. "I believe Harry should know. We have tried before to keep things from him for his own protection and each time it has backfired. I think it is time to try a new tactic. Harry is stronger than any of us give him credit for. Yes, he is still a boy, but as you said yourself, he has been through more than most adults and because of that he had matured rather quickly. More than some adults have." At that Dumbledore shot James and Sirius gentle glares, to which they responded with innocent looks. "There is nothing we can do about that. What's done is done. Now we must welcome Harry to the war and trust that he will do what is best. As for telling him that you three are here, if his reaction when he found about the prophecy last year is any indication, he would be quite angry if we failed to inform him."

James and Sirius pumped their fists in the air in victory. "Let's go find him!" Sirius suggested, rising from his seat. "I can't wait to see my godson all grown up."

"Wait," Dumbledore commanded. "This has to be handles with tact. You can't just show up at the Dursleys' door and expect Harry to believe that you're really his parents and godfather. He is likely to think that some kind of Dark magic is going on and attack you."

Lily's eyes welled up with tears at the thought. "I just want to see my baby, to hold him in my arms."

Dumbledore smiled gently at her. "I believe that can be arranged, if we do this properly."

Lily's face lit up and James squeezed her hand. They would get to see their son.

-x-

Harry led the way up to his bedroom, leaving the still silent Dursleys downstairs. Once inside the room, the three friends cracked up.

"Did you see their faces when we got into the car?" Hermione gasped.

Harry nodded, unable to talk, for he was laughing too hard. A knock sounded from downstairs and a moment later was followed by Aunt Petunia's strangled scream. Curious, Harry wiped the tears of mirth from his eyes and peered out his door. The sight that greeted below caused his eyes to grow wide. "Professor McGonagall?"

McGonagall's head turned toward Harry. "Potter, just the person I need to see," she said in her brisk voice. "Is there someplace we can talk?" Eyeing Aunt Petunia, she added, "Someplace private?"

Although confused, Harry nodded. He waved at Ron and Hermione to follow him and hurried down the steps. "Er…how about the living room? We can close the door."

"That's fine," McGonagall told him. Looking at Ron and Hermione, she added, "I wasn't aware your aunt and uncle allowed you to have guests. I would rather tell you what I need to in private. You can tell them afterwards, if you wish."

"Oh, um, sure." Harry looked at his friends apologetically. Hermione smiled and grabbed Ron's wrist to drag him upstairs before he said whatever he had been about to say. After they had gone, Harry led McGonagall into the living room and shut the door, blocking a terrified looking Aunt Petunia from view. "So, what's up, Professor?"

"First off, Potter, I want you to be sure that I am who I say I am. Trust me, this will much smoother if you are assured of that now." McGonagall stared at him expectantly.

Harry cast about for something that only McGonagall would know the answer to. "Okay, um, what did you offer me when Umbridge sent me to your office the first week of my fifth year?"

McGonagall thought for a second before answering, "Ginger Newts, I believe."

"Yes. So…what's going on?"

Were his eyes deceiving him, or did McGonagall actually look uncomfortable? "Harry…I'm not sure how to tell you this. Years ago, shortly before your parents' deaths, they and Sirius were incidentally sent forward into the future. They were still in their right time period, but at the same time they were in a future time period. That time period is now. They appeared in my office shortly after Professor Dumbledore's…murder. They want to see you."

Harry stared at her, mouth hanging slightly open. Now he knew why she had made him ascertain that it was, in fact, her sitting in front of him. After a long pause, Harry finally found his voice and asked, "Can I see them?"

As if they had been listening at the door, James, Lily, and Sirius apparated into the room. There was a pregnant pause in which Harry stared at his parents and godfather and they stared back. Then Lily broke the moment and threw her arms around her son, tears streaming down her face. Harry eagerly returned the embrace, his own face wet with tears. "I missed you, Mom."


	4. Not Exactly the Bradys

_Again, I'm sorry for the wait. This chapter is longer than usual, so hopefully that makes up for it. I hope those of you who are still interested enjoy this chapter. Thanks for the reviews!_

--x--x--

The sound of a gasp sliced through the emotionally charged air. All heads whipped towards the source of the sound. Petunia Dursley stood in the doorway, peering in through a crack in the door. "Lily?" she asked softly.

"Hi, Petunia," Lily greeted her sister, smiling gently.

"No," Petunia whispered. "You're-you're dead. How…what…how?" she stammered.

"Petunia, it's all right. Just calm down. It's kind of hard to explain, but for lack of better words, I'm back. Just for a while."

Petunia looked paler than usual and ready to faint. Perhaps it was the sight of her formerly dead sister that made Petunia say what she said next. "I'm so sorry. For everything. I was horrible to him. And I know if it had been us who died, you would have taken care of Dudley like your own."

Harry stared at her in shock. Was she really apologizing for everything she had put him through? It was like his wildest dreams come true. His parents and Sirius back, the Dursleys, or at least Aunt Petunia, apologizing. Now if only Voldemort would just evaporate or something. Then his life would truly be perfect. His mother's words replayed in his head. His eyes widened and he rounded on his parents. "What do you mean, 'for a while'? You're not staying?"

Lily shook her head sadly.

"Why not?"

James tilted his head. "Yeah, why not?" he asked McGonagall. "If we go back, we'll know what's coming. And since I'm not too keen on dying, we'll probably end up re-writing history. If we stay, it'll be just another chapter in the Harry Potter saga."

McGonagall pursed her lips. "I don't know, James. I honestly don't know."

"Please, Professor," Harry begged, wanting more than anything to have his family back.

With a heavy sigh, McGonagall said, "I suppose. But I'll have to talk this over with Albus before I give a definite answer."

But neither the Potters nor Sirius heard the last part of her answer, for as soon as the words 'I suppose' left her lips, they had all simultaneously tackled each other in something that resembled a group hug.

"I feel like a Brady," Harry commented, grinning broadly.

James and Sirius knit their brows in confusion, but Lily, having been the only one of the three raised a Muggle, laughed. Harry joined in and soon, so did James and Sirius. The four laughed until their sides hurt and only then did they calm down.

"Ouch," Harry said softly.

"I know what you mean, son," James told him, clutching his own stomach. When Harry failed to reply, James glanced over at him and his eyes widened in shock. Harry was clutching his scar, eyes screwed up in pain, and rocking every which way. "Harry! HARRY!" he screamed, scrambling to his son's side, Lily and Sirius only a step behind him. Harry let loose a blood-curdling scream and then fell limp.

Lily had just bent over him when the door flew open and two teenagers raced through, wands drawn. All heads whipped in their direction except Lily's. Her eyes remained trained on her unconscious son. James felt a spark of recognition and realized these two were Harry's friends, the same friends they had seen with him by the lake on the day of Dumbledore's funeral.

"Who're you?" The red-haired boy asked.

The girl, however, was eyeing James shrewdly. Her gaze traveled to Lily and finally came to a rest on Sirius, the sight of whom caused her eyes to widen slightly. She nudged the boy and pointed at Sirius. The boy did a double take.

"Sirius?" he asked, squinting at him. "That really you, mate?"

"Oh, honestly, Ron," the girl said exasperatedly. "If he isn't, do you really think he'd tell us?"

"Oh, er, right." The boy – Ron – flushed and his ears turned a vivid red. He averted his gaze and his mouth dropped open when it landed on James. "Hermione, look! He looks just like Harry!"

Hermione stared at Ron, waiting for him to make the connection. A minute later, realization dawned on his freckled face and he said, "Blimey! Is that Harry's dad?"

James turned to Sirius and muttered, "Not the sharpest hippogriff in the herd, is he?"

Lily's voice cut off Sirius's reply, sounding oddly high-pitched. "Now that the introductions are done, can we do something for Harry?"

Hermione gasped, for she had forgotten Harry was lying there, and hurried to his side. "What happened?" she asked Lily, worry evident in her voice.

Lily looked at her. "I don't know. One second we were laughing and then next he was rolling around and screaming and holding his scar." She saw Hermione exchange a dark look with Ron and asked, "Is this – Does this happen often?"

"Well, no. Not this bad, anyway. But the last time it was like this…" Hermione trailed off and she shot Ron, who had paled considerably, another worried glance.

"'Last time it was like this' what?" James demanded.

"Last time it was like this, it was catastrophic, to say the least," McGonagall finished for them. She had been curiously silent during the entire encounter and now was shooting anxious looks at Harry and his friends. "We have to wake him. Immediately."

But that wasn't necessary, for a moment later Harry's eyes popped open and he sat bolt upright, glancing around wildly.

"Harry?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"He's coming," Harry whispered.

"Who's coming, Potter? And when?" McGonagall asked, although everyone in the room had a pretty good idea who.

Harry turned to her and said, "Voldemort. I dunno when, soon, I guess. Few days, maybe? I heard him planning."

The others stared, mouths half hanging open, until Harry asked loudly, "Why are we just sitting here? Voldemort is on his way any day now. Maybe even today." He scrambled to his feet and went to walk out of the room, but his father reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Harry, how do you know this?"

"I saw him!" Harry explained, sounding frustrated.

"Harry, are you sure you really saw him? And that he isn't just manipulating you again?" McGonagall asked gently. "You do remember what happened last time you went rushing off without stopping to think, don't you?"

Harry's eyes flashed. "Of course I do. How could I forget?"

"Then perhaps this time you should stop and consider the possibilities. Why would You-Know-Who come here, of all places? Why not wait until you no longer have your mother's protection?"

Harry raked his hair with his hands. "I don't _know_," he answered sharply. "All I know is he's coming here and I'm not going to let him take my family again." With that, he stormed out of the room and a few seconds later, his bedroom door slammed shut.

A long silence followed as Hermione fretted, Ron waited for a good time to ask what was happening, McGonagall frowned, and the Potters and Sirius tried to sort everything out in their minds. Finally, James couldn't take it anymore and asked, "What happened last time he got one of these visions?"

Hermione exchanged another dark look with Ron and then her eyes flickered to Sirius. "The last time Harry had a vision, he saw Sirius being tortured by Voldemort at the Department of Mysteries. Harry rushed off to save Sirius, but it turned out that Voldemort was just manipulating Harry's love for Sirius to get him into the Department and Mysteries so he could steal the Prophecy."

"Wow," James whispered.

Lily, on the other hand, eyes Hermione knowingly. "That's not all that happened, is it?"

Hermione shook her head slowly. "No. The members of the Order found out what was happening because of Snape –" Ron, James, and Sirius all let out snarls at the mention of Snape – "and came to fight. Sirius was killed and Harry had to watch it."

Lily looked crestfallen, tears brimming in her eyes. "Why did all of this have to happen to him? I just don't get it. Why would Peter betray us and cause all this misery and pain?"

"I don't know, Lil," James said. "I just don't know. All I know is that we have a second chance of sorts here, to make things a little better for him. At least, I hope we do," he added with a glance at McGonagall.

She sighed. "I'll go talk to Dumbledore about it, but I can't make any promises, James."

"All we ask is that you try," Lily said.

McGonagall nodded understandingly before apparating away. Petunia let out a little gasp, reminding the others that she was still in the room.

"'Tunia," Lily said," Why don't you take Vernon and Dudley and go out for a while. Just in case. I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

Petunia nodded, a hint of a smile on her lips, and scurried off to find her husband and son.

James knew why Lily had really sent her sister away. He turned to Sirius and suggested, "Why don't you take Ron and Hermione here to Diagon Alley for a while? Maybe there are some things they need?"

Sirius understood and agreed. The other two quickly followed suit and soon only Lily and James remained in the room. A few minutes later, Lily was knocking on Harry's door, a chocolate chip cookie clutched in her hand. Harry didn't answer, so she tentatively pushed the door open, keeping the cookie in front of her as a peace offering. "Harry?"

He looked up. "What?" he asked wearily.

"We'd really like to talk to you. Could you come downstairs? I've got more cookies," she added, hoping the aroma of freshly conjured cookies would lure him. Turns out the way to a teenage boy, even the 'Chosen One,' really was through his stomach. Harry polished off the cookie his mother handed him and followed her downstairs for more. An uncomfortable silence shrouded the three. At last, Lily broke and said, "Harry, we're so sorry for all this. We should have been there for you."

Harry gulped down his cookie and insisted, "No, it wasn't your fault. It was Voldemort's. And he will pay for it. I'll make sure of it."

His parents exchanged dark looks similar to those of Ron and Hermione's. Lily slapped James's hand like teammates in a relay, indicating that it was his turn. "Harry, don't do anything stupid. You shouldn't go up against Him unless you have to. I don't think you realize just what he is capable of."

Harry felt his jaw set and realized he was standing up, although he couldn't remember getting to his feet. "I don't know what he's capable of? I've watched him kill more than one person. I've heard him kill you thousand of times, thanks to those bloody dementors. I've battled him and just barely escaped more times than you know. But no, I have no idea what he's capable of."

"That's just it," James shot back, just as loudly. "You barely escaped. I don't think you realize just how lucky you were that help came at exactly the right time. He _will_ kill you, Harry, if he gets an opportunity. Make no mistake. But I'm not so sure you'll be able to kill him if you get the chance and that may very well lead to your death and many others."

"Don't you think I know that? But everyone's counting on me to save them, as if I have all the answers. I'm only sixteen, but they expect me to save the world from one of the oldest, most powerful Dark wizards of all time. I have no clue what to expect or what to do. The best I can do is follow my instincts and hope for the best." Harry paused, looking his father in the eye. "I need all the help I can get. Ron and Hermione are great, but it would be even better if you could help me figure out how to kill him."

James smiled slightly. "Of course, I'll be right there fighting him with you."

"No," Harry told him sharply. "I have to fight him myself. Please don't fight me on this. It's just the way things have to be. But please, help me get ready for it."

James looked like he wanted to say something, but Lily rested her hand on his arm and said, "Of course, we'll help you, Harry. We love you."

Harry grinned and took a step closer to hug his parents, but stopped suddenly, a grimace of pain taking over his face.

"Harry?" Lily asked, her voice full of concern.

"We have to go," Harry said suddenly. "Can one of you apparate me side-along to Number 12 Grimmauld Place?"

James nodded curtly, grabbing Harry's handed tightly. Lily disappeared with a loud pop and James and Harry quickly followed suit.


End file.
